Spring terminal reinforcement



June 7, 1939; v N. E. HENDRICKSON 2,163,875

SPRING TERMINAL REINFORCEMENT Filed 001:. 31, 1958 W dgk Patented June 27, 1939 PATENT OFFICE SPRING TERMINAL REINFORCEMENT Niels E. Hendrickson, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to The Mather Spring Company, Toledo, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application October 31, 1938, Serial No. 237,916

5 Claims.

This invention relates to strap metal eyes.

This invention has utility when incorporated in termini for leaf springs, especially in connection with vehicle work, even to the extent of withstanding the hazards of general highway operation.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the invention in a laminated or leaf spring;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in side elevation of a terminus of the leaf spring of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line III-III, Fig. 2, showing the weld anchoring of the strip with the offset or remote side of the eye of the leaf spring;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the eye of Fig. 2, showing the truss or reinforcing strip as weld anchored to the eye and strap of the leaf spring; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a strip having a tapered terminus weld connected to a major spring leaf.

In vehicle operation there may be axle I having U-bolts 2 and plate 3 holding spring leaves 4, 5, 6, I, 8, 9, I0, as the laminae of a leaf spring. Major spring leaf [0 is shown as having curved termini II to form eye l2. At the extreme of this leaf is tapered or scarf terminus I3. As so Wrapped back on itself to provide this offset eye I2 there is under the invention herein provided strip I4 having terminus l5 conforming to the outside of the eye as offset from the strap I0. At such portion there is weld anchoring or fusion l6 effecting bonding of this strip I4 with the eye. Extending from this curved portion the straight or truss portion of the strip 14 extends to fiat seat portion I! having weld anchorage I8 with the strap l0 spaced from the eye l2. In practice, this angle is desirably in the range of 20 to 60 from the strap II] for the direction taken by the strip Hi. There is, accordingly, an effectively bonded reinforcement element adapted to have a response to severe load strains with a freedom between the seat portions 15, IT, for slacking, while there is value of tensile operation in the reverse action. There is thus positioned in this strut relation a relatively minor mass of material as to the leaf spring proper, which may be economically adapted thereto in the weld assembly. The formation of the eye and this welding to include the strip are desirably effected prior to the heat treating so that this reinforcement may not detrimentally affect the anchorage regions. The experience hereunder is that with this strip I4 say at one-half the width ofthe strap l0 and approximately one-third the thickness, there results doubling of the resistance to eye opening or distortion. It is thus evident that there has been introduced'by this strut strip a tension effectiveness against the unrolling action for the terminal wrap as forming the eye I2.

In tests conducted with the strap of chrome vanadium steel 3 inches wide and inch thick and having a terminal eye of approximately 1 inches, the strip being inch by 1 inches; the load applied 2% inches away from the center line of the eye with a positive support for the strap 9% inches away from the eye, the support being on the offset side of the eye, 9000 pounds did no damage as to the eye nor did it set the strap of the spring to show that there had been any action thereon beyond the elastic limit therefor. Turning of this section over so that the strap with the strip opposite the support of the eye and 9 inches away therefrom, a load then applied on the reinforcing strip side of the eye 2% inches from the center line of the eye held for the eye on 10,000 pounds applied, but in this test the spring leaf took a permanent set. However, the angle of this set was more remote from the eye than the terminus of the portion ll of the strip.

With such an eye there is in practice a forcing thereinto of the bushing for the shackle, say of .03 inch larger diameter in press fit. Such bushing has been forced into the eye, without the strip, under 3000 pounds pressure. With the reinforcing strip, like dimension of eye and character of steel for the strap, as well as dimension for the strap, has required twice the pressure or 6000 pounds when the dimension for the press fit was but .022 inch or approximately two-thirds that for the unreinforced strip.

This reinforcement of the eye in practice means that, with slight increase in the general weight of the leaf spring, such range of spring efiiciency is more than doubled to withstand traffic hazard. This is effected Withretention of the spring value inasmuch as the eye itself is not a factor in detracting from the life of the spring or its functioning under severe operating difliculties.

This anchorage means, disclosed as welds, may be continuous or interrupted. As herein shown, the weld I6 is continuous in its extent of bonding the edges of the portion 15 of the strip, while the weld l8 as bounding the portion I? may as herein have interrupted portions l9 instead of being continuous.

The strip or strut [4 as between the convex offset or remote portion of the eye and the fiat seat portion, as two spaced points on the leaf spring,

may, desirably in practice, have a slight sag M in the strut portion. This may be of sort of bow string effectiveness as against the tensions reacting thereon or therethrough. This elasticity or flexibility factor from the sag is of strength analogous to catenary action and is a material reinforcement factor.

Furthermore, these reactions as effecting the anchored ends or termini may, as to the strip I4, have taper 20 (Fig. 5) with bounding weld 2| therefor. This has advantageous reaction in the extremes of holding, in that it is not local to a transverse point of the leaf but as applying to the leaf extends therealong in different spaced relation as to the margin or line of the leaf. Such distribution, of the extremes or severe strains as may arise in vehicle operation, is of advantage in such distribution against causing any weakness to localize transversely of the leaf, regardless of which terminus of the strip may be involved provided such is equipped with this feature.

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A leaf spring terminal eye offset laterally from the leaf extending therefrom, and a strip,

anchored with the leaf spaced from the eye, and inclined away from the leaf to anchor with the eye.

2. A leaf spring eyeintegral with the spring leaf, said eye having a side remote from the spring leaf extending from the eye, and a strut anchored with said side of the eye and extending to the leaf spaced from the eye.

3. A spring leaf having a terminal eye integral with the spring leaf and a tension strip in converging direction from the eye toward the leaf and anchored with each thereof.

4. A leaf spring having a curved terminus to form an offset eye, and a strip weld anchored With the offset side of the eye, said strip having Weld anchor with the leaf spaced from the eye.

5. A leaf spring eye having a side remote from the spring leaf extending from the eye, and a strut from the eye to the leaf at a location spaced from the eye, there being weld means between the strut and side of the eye and between the strut and said leaf, said latter weld means extending away from the direction of extent of the leaf anchoring the strut terminus.

NIELS E. HENDRICKSON. 

